News & Notes | September 18, 2026 | | The Fight for Our Future at CBCF ALC | | | | Kettering hosted a third-party session, “The Fight for Our Future,” during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on September 17. Jonathan Capehart, MS Now cohost and PBS NewsHour political analyst, moderated a conversation between KF Senior Fellow Stacey Abrams and President and Founding Partner of HIT Strategies Terrance Woodbury. They explored how we can protect the rights under attack while building a democracy that is more responsive, representative, participatory, and just—an inclusive democracy. | | Kettering Foundation Statements on Defending Democracy | | | | |
Condemning Threats Against Dr. Amy Acton
On September 6, an armed man forced his way through a crowd toward Ohio gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton as she spoke at the Canfield Fair near Youngstown, Ohio. Several people were knocked to the ground and injured before Acton’s security detail intervened. Acton was unharmed. Authorities say the man was carrying two pistols, a Taser, and brass knuckles, though investigators say he did not brandish them.
The Kettering Foundation unequivocally condemns all forms of political violence and every attempt to intimidate people participating in public life as a threat to democracy itself. We must work toward a future where everyone can engage in the democratic process without fear of violence.
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An Urgent Call to Action from Kettering Senior Fellow
J. Michael Luttig
Charles F. Kettering Foundation Senior Fellow J. Michael Luttig has written a powerful and urgent piece, “The Final Battle for America’s Democracy” for The New Republic, warning of a grave threat surrounding the 2026 midterms.
He writes that the decisive test may not come on Election Day, but on January 3, 2027, when duly elected members of the 120th Congress could be denied their seats, raising a fundamental question for our democracy: Will the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box be honored?
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When Governments Target LGBTQ+ Rights, Democracy Is at Risk
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation condemns the Turkish government’s sweeping crackdown on LGBTQ+ organizations and human rights defenders. Authorities have raided offices and homes, detained activists, blocked websites and social media accounts, and opened criminal investigations, all in an attempt to frighten, isolate, and silence those who defend the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
We have seen this pattern in many countries around the world. LGBTQ+ people are portrayed as threats to children, families, culture, and national identity. And these portrayals are used to justify restricting speech, association, advocacy, and protest. Those of us defending democracy in the United States should stand with people whose rights are under attack wherever they live.
| | | | For the next several weeks, we’re bringing you a special series as part of Kettering’s America 250 initiative, “Democracy, Under Construction.” It’s about key events in American history that have brought us toward, or away from, an inclusive democracy—and the work that remains to be done. We coproduced this series with our friends at a podcast called This Day. It’s a history show, and they’re doing a whole year of episodes about major events that shaped our nation. Throughout September, you’ll be hearing episodes of This Day in our feed. If you enjoy those episodes, go over to This Day’s feed for two more episodes on each of these historical topics. The Context’s host, Alex Lovit, will be the guest in the third episode each week. | | |
The Bill of Rights (Week of September 8)
Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor at Slate and host of the Amicus podcast, discusses the debates over the ratification of the Constitution. The factions arguing for and against ratification were the first organized political movements in American history and resulted in the essential protections of democratic freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
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Seneca Falls (Week of September 15)
This Day examines the first national women’s rights convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, with Kettering Research Fellow and Brown University Professor of Political Science Deva Woodly. Although it takes another 72 years for women to gain the right to vote nationwide, Seneca Falls sets the stage for this radical expansion of suffrage.
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Join Kettering and the This Day podcast for “This Day Live: The Next Realignment” on October 19 at the Howard Theatre (620 T St. NW, Washington, DC 20001). Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and the show will start at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public, and tickets are available through the Howard Theatre.
The conversation will focus on the moment of democratic realignment we are living through right now. Are we witnessing a fundamental shift in who holds power, who gets left out, and how race and class are reshaping the coalitions that define American politics? And what can history teach us about moments like this one? This Day host Jody Avirgan will be joined by cohosts and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt University) and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley College). Also joining are Alex Lovit, host of KF’s podcast The Context, and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who is a bishop, author, founder of the Poor People's Campaign and the Moral Mondays movement, and a KF senior fellow.
| | The Stakes is a dynamic interview series hosted by Chief External Affairs Officer Brad Rourke, where influential leaders from various fields explore critical issues shaping democracy today. | | | | |
Kathleen Sebelius on the Breakdown of American Public Health
Kettering Foundation David Mathews Democracy Fellow Kathleen Sebelius, former secretary of Health and Human Services and former governor of Kansas, discusses the erosion of America’s public health infrastructure. With measles cases at their highest level in decades and childhood vaccination rates falling, Sebelius argues that political interference in vaccine policy and weakened federal leadership are putting Americans at risk. “We need to go back to the point where we don’t play politics with public health,” she says. “We follow the science in public health.”
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🌏 Resilience & Resistance
| | | | The Resilience & Resistance blog series aims to help turn the tide of democratic backsliding by creating space to explore global patterns of authoritarianism, uplift courageous efforts of resistance, and reimagine democracy. It is an initiative of the Democracy around the Globe focus area. | | | | |
While Democracy Retreats, Cities Resist by Inés Reineke
In San Miguel, Argentina, a WhatsApp-powered safety program helped rebuild trust, reduce crime, and show how local democracy can deliver. Reineke suggests that other local governments can learn from this example of engaging citizens on practical solutions to everyday challenges.
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Authoritarian Governments Learn from Each Other—Civil Society Must Do the Same by Laura Vidal
Across Latin America, civil society organizations have been learning from each other and collaborating to combat authoritarian actions. Their experiences, suggests Vidal, can serve as an example for democracy defenders around the globe.
| | | | The From Many, We blog series aims to distill the aspirational goals of a diverse democracy, recognize patterns of exclusion and authoritarian creep, and identify and respond to urgent democratic threats. We invite you to join us in reading, thinking, and engaging with the insights in each post. | | | | |
Social Media and Democracy: Are Platforms the Problem or Their Users? by Dean Jackson
Social media may not be the real threat to democracy—at least not by itself. Kettering-Gallup Democracy for All Project data points to youth disaffection, gender, and platform habits.
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Americans Are Divided About . . . America by Alex Theodoridis
Despite widespread polarization around core values and whether American democracy is living up to its ideals, there is still hope. The University of Massachusetts Amherst Poll found that the majority of Americans believe we have more in common than what divides us.
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Dayton Democracy Fellows
This series of articles about the 2026 Dayton Democracy Fellows highlights their robust work and the powerful narratives that drive the advancement and defense of democracy.
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Imelda Ayala: The Bridge Between Immigrants and the City by Maura Casey
At El Puente Dayton, Parent Advocate and Community Liaison Imelda Ayala helps immigrant families navigate their new lives in America—and shows how belonging strengthens democracy.
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On September 25, PBS will present a national broadcast of the Sing Democracy 250 concert at 9:00 p.m. ET. Filmed in April 2026 at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this is the same program KF sponsored on June 13 at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. Featured works include “Redeem the Dream” by Brandon A. Boyd, which is based upon Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America Be America Again,” and “US” by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, inspired by Richard Haass’s book The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens. The concert also includes “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” both arranged by conductor G. Phillip Shoultz III.
Tune in to celebrate the enduring promise of democracy and be inspired by the power of the arts to spark our democratic imagination. This performance, which embodies our country’s foundational aspirations, is an ideal way to recognize our country’s 250th anniversary. Watch on your local PBS station or at PBS.org.
| | | | The Democracy and Community focus area is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Be Human event October 8 at 6:00 p.m. Presented by Lore and The Human Race Theatre Company, Be Human is an interactive storytelling experience uplifting art and our shared humanity. Through oral storytelling, artistic expression, and audience participation, attendees will explore the experiences that connect all of us to remind us of our shared humanity. At a time when it is easy to feel disconnected from one another, Be Human is an invitation to return to what makes us human and what makes an inclusive democracy possible: our stories, our creativity, and our connection to one another. The event will take place at The Human Race Theatre Company (126 North Main St., Dayton, OH 45402). To reserve your spot, visit the event site. | | | | |
In an era marked by polarization, displacement, and erosion of trust, the practices that sustain democratic life have never been more essential: hope, belonging, civic virtue, and the courage to act with and for one another. The 2026 Imagining Community Symposium will provide two days of dialogue, collaboration, and practical strategies focused on this year’s theme, “Civic Hope and Belonging.”
The Belonging Project, an original play created as a project of the KF Democracy and the Arts focus area and KF Artist-in-Residence Sierra Leone, who also served as the playwright, will be performed on October 15 at 1:00 p.m. The play explores how Daytonians experience life in their communities and is based on stories shared by participants in listening sessions convened by KF over the past two years. Following the live performance, the audience will have an opportunity to join the conversation and share their own experiences with belonging and exclusion.
The Friday morning plenary session (October 16, 10:00–11:00 a.m.), “Engaging Dayton Youth in Shaping the World They Want to Live in Today,” will feature three KF Dayton Democracy Fellows, Maggie Burk, Erica Fields, and Kevin O’Donnell, and be moderated by KF Program Associate for Democracy and Community Julio Mateo. The panel discussion brings together three community leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are engaged in innovative efforts to support youth civic education, participation, and impact in Dayton.
KF is pleased to sponsor the symposium, which will be held October 15–16, at the University of Dayton's Daniel J. Curran Place (1700 S. Patterson Blvd., Dayton, OH 45479). All are invited to attend this free event, and registration is required by October 13.
| | | | KF Senior Advisor for State and Local Government Valerie Lemmie will speak at the American Society of Public Administration’s September 22 webinar, “Calling All Experts: Advisory Boards in Public Administration.” Her remarks will explore how government-appointed advisory boards influence public processes, policies, and practices and help improve governance and service delivery. Drawing on her experience serving on advisory commissions, Lemmie will discuss practical implementation challenges and strategies for success. The webinar starts at 1:00 p.m. ET, and registration is required. | | |
On September 2, KF’s Emerging Issues lunch discussion focused on growing concerns about the politicized scrutiny of civil society organizations in the US and abroad. The conversation examined the June federal law enforcement raid of an Ohio voter registration nonprofit, which raised questions about the use of law enforcement resources in ways that may intimidate civic organizations or subject them to unusually broad scrutiny. Participants considered the incident alongside executive actions issued earlier in the current term and similar developments internationally, where governments in several countries have advanced legislation restricting the work of civil society actors. Participants shared patterns they are seeing across their own networks, considered how organizations are preparing for increased scrutiny, and identified opportunities for collective response and defense of a strong and independent civil society.
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KF sponsored the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s performance, “Takin’ It to the Streets,” at the Levitt Pavilion Dayton on September 3. This performance, held on the Levitt’s outdoor stage, allowed the community to experience professional contemporary dance rooted in the African American experience that was accessible to all and free of charge. KF Senior Program Officer for Democracy and the Arts Joni Doherty, Digital Communications Coordinator Jasmine Olaore, and Program Associate for Democracy and the Arts Dorie Watts attended the performance, along with KF Artist-in-Residence Sierra Leone. Doherty, Olaore, and Watts are pictured with DCDC President and CEO Debbie Blunden-Diggs.
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| |  | On September 8, Valerie Lemmie, KF senior advisor for State and Local Government, represented KF at the Portman Center for Policy Solutions Public Leadership Awards, joined by Kettering friends from Columbus and Cincinnati. The event honored two of the top-ranking leaders in congressional bipartisanship: Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). Senators Hassan and Young both debuted among the top five bipartisan US senators in their respective parties for the most recently completed congressional session. Their rankings reflect a commitment to bipartisanship, civility, and problem-solving on critical issues facing the nation. Shortly before the awards ceremony, the Portman Center announced the launch of its new Congressional Bipartisanship Scores web resource. Spanning 40 years of data, the resource offers a comprehensive, transparent, and interactive scoring system for ranking bipartisan members of Congress. Visitors can track bipartisanship over time and across issues, helping highlight members who work across the aisle to solve problems.
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On September 11, Destiny Brown and Julio Mateo of KF’s Democracy and Community focus area visited the Dayton Civic Scholars program at the University of Dayton’s Fitz Center for Leadership in Community. Brown and Mateo led an interactive discussion about democracy with a cohort of Dayton Civic Scholars, in which they explored what democracy is, how Dayton Civic Scholars have experienced democracy in their lives, and what we can all do to strengthen democracy locally, regionally, and nationally. Dayton Civic Scholars emphasized how critical it is for a healthy democracy for everyone to be included, heard, and able to express themselves freely without fear of repercussions. Brown and Mateo also shared some of their own experiences engaging in local efforts to advance a more participatory, inclusive democracy.
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| | | Political science research and global experience underscore a common lesson: broad, cross-ideological coalitions spanning many sectors of society are the strongest safeguard against democratic backsliding and authoritarianism. In September 2025, Kettering, the Ohio Democracy Project, and Over Zero, with support from the Horizons Project, launched the Ohio Big Tent’s first convening. The effort now includes more than 40 Ohio organizations. Gatherings in December 2025 and April 2026 focused on joint scenario planning for community safety and on applying domestic and international lessons to strengthen resilience and protect democracy through individual and collective action. On September 15, sponsored by the foundation, Big Tent organizations reconvened in Columbus, Ohio, to consider how Ohio nonprofits representing civil society, veterans, artists, educators, clergy, business, and labor can collaborate to help ensure free and fair elections in November 2026. The goal of this interactive gathering was to help participants build trust, address challenges together, and create a shared organizational action and response plan that supports voters and grassroots organizations statewide while promoting election integrity and safety. Valerie Lemmie, KF senior advisor for State and Local Government, represented the foundation.
| | | | Kettering is a proud supporter of Judy Woodruff Presents: America at a Crossroads, a series on the PBS NewsHour that examines the many divisions fracturing the US and hosted by KF Fanning Fellow Judy Woodruff. We’ll feature new installments in each issue of News & Notes. They can also be viewed on the NewsHour website. | | |
The lasting psychological impact of 9/11 on America
Marking 25 years since September 11, historians David Blight and Garrett Graff examine how the attacks transformed America. They reflect on the event’s unprecedented trauma and its effect on American life and identity, while examining its continuing influence on political divisions and the country’s history.
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Lonnie Bunch on his legacy and protecting the Smithsonian from political pressure
Lonnie Bunch reflects on his tenure as the first Black secretary of the Smithsonian and the legacy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which he helped bring to life. As political pressure challenges how museums tell American history, Bunch defends scholarly independence and urges Americans to embrace the full complexity of their past as a foundation for democracy.
Comedian Jenny Yang takes act to stages inside immigrant grocery stores
Comedian Jenny Yang takes her Good Egg tour into immigrant grocery stores, using laughter to foster connection amid concerns about immigration policies. The tour raises money for local organizations and reflects Yang’s belief that art can strengthen community while encouraging people to share their experiences.
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